Architect retained for new school building

Written by Larry Limpf

December 31, 2008

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The Genoa school board Tuesday approved an agreement to contract with the architectural firm Buehrer Group, Maumee, for designing a new elementary school that will be funded with state and local money.

Details of the service contract will be discussed at a Jan. 11 meeting with the Ohio School Facilities Commission, said Dennis Mock, superintendent of Genoa schools.

The Genoa board and administration are tentatively scheduling to have soil tests conducted at the construction site in February and to have preliminary work begin in the spring for the new school, which will house kindergarten through fifth grade classes and will be built at the middle school/high school campus on Genoa-Clay Center Road.

Voters in November approved a 1.9-mill, 28-year bond issue that will fund the local share of construction as well as renovations to the high school building.

The OSFC will provide $19.2 million for the project while the Genoa district will provide about $5.2 million through the bond issue.

In addition to constructing a new elementary school, the district will use bond issue revenues to replace the roof at the high school and renovate the auditorium, science labs, gym, locker rooms, and add restrooms for community use. The high school’s electrical system will also be upgraded and sidewalks will be installed at the campus.

Allen Central Elementary School, which houses grades K-2, and Brunner Elementary School, which houses grades 3-5, will be closed when the new school opens.

According to OSFC regulations, the district isn’t required to set definite plans for the abandoned buildings until after the new elementary is open, Mr. Mock said, adding that will likely be for the 2011-12 school year.

“We have until we move into the new building to determine what we are going to do,” he said. “We should be going to bid on a construction contract in October. They’re on an expedited process so hopefully they will be able to speed that up.”

Of the $19.2 million the OSFC has allocated for the project, about $6.2 million is from a credit the district earned under commission rules by constructing the middle school entirely with local funds.

Organizational meetingThe Genoa school board will hold its organizational meeting for 2009 on Jan. 13 at 5:15 p.m. That will be followed by a public tax hearing at 5:45 p.m. and the board’s regular monthly meeting at 6 p.m.

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